In Your Neighbourhood

Household Plants, a breath of fresh air!

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Flowers, plants and other greenery can have a positive effect on any living space whether it’s in your home, office or cottage. Although they cannot directly communicate, plants can provide us with a unique connection to nature and a calming and comforting essence to any room in your home. Aside from helping cleanse our inner spirit, plants can help to clean and purify our external surroundings, too. A handful of plants in the home or office can significantly improve air quality by producing oxygen and absorbing harmful and toxic chemicals from the air we breathe.

Getting the ‘dirt’ on household pollutants
Many of us live and work in energy efficient and tightly sealed pollution traps. Dangerous vapours and toxins are released everywhere around us from furniture, office equipment, carpet and cigarette smoke. Even cleaning solutions that are meant to rid us of bacteria and dirt emit harmful vapours and chemicals.

Plants can help to reduce chemicals and toxins released from chemical compounds such as trichlorethylene (TCE), benzene and formaldehyde.

Trichlorethylene or TCE is an industrial solvent that is used in dry cleaners, inks, paints, varnishes and adhesives and although it has a ‘sweet’ smell, its effects are not so pleasant. It is classified as a carcinogen and can have very negative effects on human health such as cancer, liver and central nervous system damage.

Benzene is a chemical found in gasoline, inks, oils, rubber, detergents and plastics. Human exposure to benzene can cause minor effects such as skin and eye irritation, dizziness, nausea or headaches. In severe cases, it has been linked to respiratory diseases, organ damage, tremors, paralysis and unconsciousness.

Formaldehyde is used for any product that requires resin and is found in items such as foam insulation, particleboard, plastic bags, cosmetics, wax paper and even facial tissue.

Super Plants to the Rescue!
Many studies by several American universities and even NASA, determined the best household plants that could be used to maximize our air quality – both in the space station and here on Earth, too!

• Peace Lilies

• Snake and spider plants or Elephant ears

• Weeping Figs

• Rubber plants

• Bamboo palms

• Japanese ferns or English ivy

Plants absorb gases like carbon dioxide (but also those emitted from TCE’s, benzene and formaldehyde) through the pores on their leaves reducing airborne pollutants by at least fifty percent. This plant-ability helps to decrease pollution in our air, soil and water – giving us plenty of room to breathe and fully enjoy nature that surrounds us!